Please help with feeding a crowd?

Question

Saturday after a funeral i was asked to bring 3 sides dishes and a dessert that will each feed 20 --25 people, several other people have also been asked to do this and none of us have a clue past the regulars like potatoes salads and sheet cakes please help

Answer 1

Pasta salad,

meatballs and rolls, can be kept in a crock pot

cookies

lunch meat tray an rolls

chili

Answer 2

I have a recipe for "Famous Baked Beans" and it has ground beef, three kinds of beans, diced onions and some fantastic flavors for a great sauce, feeds at least 25 if not a few more.  I also have a recipe for baked mashed potatoes with gouda cheese, double that one.  You can find them at:

http://www.cooking-is-easy-and-fun.com/S...

Salads that you can find on my website include:

Orzo Pasta Salad - it is wonderful, made with feta cheese, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes,

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Blue Cheese Cole Slaw

Chipotle Cornbreadead

Raspberry Jello Salad

Just click on the Salads/Breads link for the recipes:

http://www.cooking-is-easy-and-fun.com

Answer 3

vegis (fresh) with Ranch dip-Salami rolls (Salami sliced thin from the deli add cream cheese) Large platter of Fruit(grapes,apples,strawberries etc)-Green Beans with new Potato's  xox

Answer 4

I don't know if this will each feed that many people...I'm not a caterer, but any little bit helps, right!?

Red, White, and Blue Salad (dessert)

2 boxes raspberry jello

1 envelope box gelatin

1 c. whipping cream

1 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

1 (8oz.) cream cheese

1 c. pecans

1 can blueberries

Choose a large glass bowl to show off the red white and blue layers.

Step 1: Dissolve 1 box jello in 2 c. hot water. Allow to set in bottom of glass bowl.

Step 2: Dissolve plain gelatin in 1/2 c. cold water. Heat 1 c. cream and 1 c. sugar. Mix gelatin into the heated cream. Add vanilla, cream cheese, and pecans. Allow to set on top of already-set first layer.

Step 3: Mix I c. hot water with 1 box raspberry jello. Add can of blueberries. Set on top of already-set layers. Keeps good in fridge for 1 week.

Answer 5

Most casseroles will feed 10-12 people easily... just make 2 of whatever you bring.  Do them in aluminum (disposable) pans so you don't have to worry about getting them back.

Green Bean Bundles

2 (16 oz) cans whole green beans

8 slices of bacon, cut into halves I use the Center cut bacon

1 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Drain beans and arrange into bundles of 5 beans. Wrap each bundle with 1/2 slice bacon. Arrange seam side down in baking dish with sides not touching.

Sprinkle with garlic powder. Drizzle with mixture of butter and brown sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes or until bacon is cooked through.

Yield: 16 servings

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Impossibly Easy Vegetable Pie

2 cups chopped broccoli or sliced fresh cauliflower

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 eggs

1. Heat oven to 400ºF. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Heat 1 inch salted water to boiling in medium saucepan. Add broccoli; cover and heat to boiling. Cook about 5 minutes or until almost tender; drain thoroughly. Stir together cooked broccoli, onion, bell pepper and cheese in pie plate.  

2. Stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate.  

3. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes.

--Betty Crocker

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Sinful Potatoes

1 (26 oz.) bag frozen hash brown potatoes

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (I like sharp)

1 (10 ¾ oz) can Cream of Celery soup

1 (10 ¾ oz) can Cream of Chicken soup

1 (8 oz.) container sour cream (can use lowfat)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients, place in a greased casserole dish.  Bake at 350ºF for 45-60 minutes until lightly browned and bubbly.

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Baked Macaroni & Cheese

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup milk

3 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

1 lb. macaroni, boiled al dente, according to pkg. directions

1½ c ups yellow cheddar cheese, shredded

1½ cups Muenster cheese, shredded

Heat the milk and cream together in microwave. Melt butter in large saucepan, then add all the flour stirring constantly. Let cook for 4-5 minutes, continuing to stir. Remove from heat and add warm milk and cream while whisking -- if sauce is too thick, add a touch more milk.  Add cheese to white sauce and stir. (Save a bit of cheese for the topping.) Stir sauce into macaroni and place in a buttered casserole dish. Place in 350° oven until slightly brown and bubbly on top -- 25-30 minutes.

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CREAM CHEESE VEGETABLE CASSEROLE

1 med. head cauliflower

1 med. to lg. bunch broccoli

6 to 8 carrots, cut in 1 inch slices

1 tsp. chives

Salt & pepper to taste

1 sm. onion

1/2 c. butter

4 tbsp. flour

8 oz. heavy cream or evaporated milk

2 c. milk

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

Cheese, grated

Seasoned croutons

Steam vegetables until tender and crisp. Sprinkle chives and salt and pepper over vegetables. Place vegetables in large casserole. Meanwhile, over medium heat, saute onion in butter and gradually add flour, stirring constantly. Add heavy cream and milk. Add cream cheese. Stir constantly until thick and smooth. Pour cheese sauce over vegetables, gently fold. Sprinkle with grated cheese and seasoned croutons. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

Serves 8.

Source: cooks.com

Answer 6

A pound cake for dessert would be easy since you don't have to worry about frosting cake layers and a pound cake will feed a lot of people.  You can make just about anything into a side dish by putting it in a casserole dish.  Examples of side dishes: pasta salad, tossed green salad with dressing on table, variety of cooked vegetables or a mixed vegetable stir fry, coleslaw, potato salad, hashbrown casserole, green bean casserole, squash casserole, baked ziti, lasagna, baked spaghetti, rice casserole, boiled new potatoes with green beans, candied carrots, sweet potato casserole, loaded mashed potato casserole, etc.

Answer 7

There are lots of things you could do. If you don't like the potato salad idea go with another type of salad, like pasta or bean. Go by the local grocery store and see what kind of rice or pasta mixes are on sale. Cookies from pre-made dough would be a pretty easy desert for that many people. Go to foodnetwork.com and look around for salad and side dish recipes. They might also have a section on feeding a crowd.

Answer 8

Beans - any kind

cole slaw - any kind

Green bean casserole (with the mushroom soup and canned onions)

Broccoli Rice casserole (processed cheese cooked into rice with broccoli stirred in, pour in casserole dish, top with small amount of grated cheese and bake for 20 min at 350)

Squash casserole (cook squash and some onion in butter, add some processed cheese and chopped peppers, mix in some store-bought stuffing mix, pour in casserole dish and bake 30 min at 350)

Rice salad - cook rice, chop onion, grate carrots, add a sm can of English peas, some grated cheddar and stir together with mayo or miracle whip

Desserts - a great big peach cobbler.  You can buy them frozen.

Answer 9

I would try to vary the side dishes a little bit--a pasta, a vegetable, and then a third of your choice. For pasta, I think you could do something incredibly easy and familiar (baked ziti, pasta tossed with vegetables, macaroni and cheese). A large pan of roasted vegetables (potatoes, carrots, eggplant, squash) could be really nice.

About dessert--how about trying something like strudel made out of puff pastry? It's really very easy, tasty, and isn't too cute (given the occasion). You can find tasty, easy recipes on www.foodnetwork.com and www.cookinglight.com.

I hope that all goes as well as possible on Saturday.

Answer 10

  veggie platters, meatballs(barbecue), fruit trays, pasta dishes, just to name a few.

Answer 11

There are lots of things you can make that aren't too expensive that go pretty far as side dishes.  Think of some of the things you would see on a restaurant menu under "sides".  Make a bunch of cornbread or biscuits, cut up a tray of carrot and celery sticks and serve with a nice salad dressing for a dip.  Do a fancy cheese & cracker plate or a condiment tray (pickles and olives).  A simple bowl or plate of fresh, cut-up fruit is always popular.  Make a double or triple batch of green bean casserole or tater tot casserole (we used to call those funeral potatoes because they were so often found at funerals).  

You can make some jello salad by just mixing up a couple of packets of jello and throwing in a can of fruit cocktail when the jello is partially set.  Put it into a flat rectangular pan and top with whipped topping and you have a refreshing dish that can serve as a dessert or a side dish.

For desserts you can make just about any kind of dessert.  Just double or triple the recipe.  Brownies, cookies, squares or slices or little tarts would all be great and are easy to make ahead of time and freeze and then just take out on the day of the funeral.

Check out some of the recipes in the links below.

Answer 12

you can make almost anything into a casserole. why don't you make some ziti or penne pasta and then put in a dish with sauce and cheese and ground beef if you want, and bake it?  you can also make lasagna or baked spaghetti. for desserts, i would bake cupcakes or brownies. they don't consume much time and you can make alot of them and they don't need alot of care.

Answer 13

baked ziti

5 bean salad

meatballs in sauce (in a crockpot or heating dish) with dinner rolls or italian bread

linguine salad

greens and beans

italian wedding soup in a crockpot

macaroni and cheese

green bean casserole

Answer 14

Get a big cocktail can of fruits and if u want add some of ur own fresh fruit mix with whipped cream and thats just it. it might sound weird but its delicious. it'll feed a lot of people and it's simple to make. This is a yummy side dish but ur going to have to make around 3-5 of them. They're also easy my moms famous recipe, buy 2-3 pufff pastry sheets, one of them will make two. Open it up and lay it on a cutting board, you sould have two seperate pices do one at a time, after wards u should havve some slits in it but pinch together the slits so u can't see through them. Put one package of cream cheese in the middle, top it off with fresh garlic shreded and top it off with some freshly chopped dill. Carefully take the sides of the pastry dough and wrap on top of cream cheese, fold corners and flip over so that the straight, pretty side is on top put in oven for around 15-20 minutes on 250 degrees and it's done. It might sound weird but try making one at first for urself and if u like it if u don't then just don't make it. For dessert u can make russian apples, First cut top of apple were stem is, core out the apple and make sure it's not all the way to the bottom pour in some sugar and put in oven until outside of apple is turning golden again might sound weird but try one out first and put on 350*. To make it seem pretty take top off and rip the stem away carefully when sugar is already in apple put on the apple top. For another side dish buy some young red potatoes and peel them if u don't want to u don't have to peel them just wash them, boil them with water for around one hour or until u can Hope this helps.  

Answer 15

You could buy frozen meatballs like Schwan's ,microwave them,trust me they taste the same as they would if u beke them. Then add a jar of grape jell and chili sauce. It doesn't sound too appetizing but they are awesome. Just put them in a crockpot and they last all day.

Answer 16

Thats a pretty tall order!

A side-dish, as you know, is an incidental food that is served along with an entree, therefor you should not be expected to bring an entree casserole (lasagna) but instead a lesser dish (cole slaw).

Think of what you and your family like to have along side a hamburger, or beside a turkey and go with that.

Look for easy to prepare dishes, like roasted sweet and white potatoes (no peeling).  Pasta with fresh pesto (easy!).  Three cans of biscuits baked on site if possible, or brought at room temp otherwise.

For dessert, don't try to be fancy.  Just bring a slew of brownies or cupcakes with canned frosting.

Im sorry if you lost someone dear to you.

Good luck